Author: Olivia Carter

After years of no sexual intimacy with my wife, I am now craving the comfort of somatic connection. Not actual sex, but simply cuddling and being held close while nude. But my wife has refused. I have suggested we try “progressive desensitisation” therapy, which would involve lying down together, with one item of clothing removed, but with no physical contact. We would build from there in the knowledge that this would not lead to sexual contact. My wife, when I suggested it, was not at all interested in this, and in fact, she was actively opposed.She told me the problem…

Portuguese giants Benfica have become the latest football side to receive US investment with Lenore Sports Partners (LSP) today finalizing its purchase of a 5.24% stake in the Lisbon club.Jean-Marc Chapus, co-founder of private equity firm Crescent Capital, is the lead among the quartet of investors who have bought the stake in what is the first instance of American investment in a Portuguese side. In a statement Blackbridge Sports LLC, who connected LSP with Benfica’s holding company in 2022, said that the new minority owners “will play a pivotal role in further strengthening Benfica’s international presence, particularly in the strategically…

How best to bond with a teenage boy? When my son, Hugo, finished his A-levels, I knew I wanted to “take a journey” with him, to have some sort of final trip before he left home. Ideally a journey that would leave both of us with a few happy memories.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Easier said than done: a midlife woman and a teenage boy are completely different beasts. I wanted to walk. He wanted to be driven. I wanted to get up early. He wanted to…

Assam and West Bengal, India – Ufa Ali could barely stand. On May 31, the 67-year-old bicycle mechanic returned to his home in India’s northeastern state of Assam after spending four harrowing days stranded in Bangladesh, the neighbouring country he claims he had only heard of “as a slur” since birth. Ali’s weeklong ordeal began on May 23 when he was picked up by the police from his rented house in Kuyadal, a small village in Assam’s Morigaon district, during a government crackdown on “declared foreign nationals” – a category of people unique to Assam. The state is a tea-producing…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The UK’s competition regulator is proposing to loosen Google’s control of its search engine in the first application of Britain’s tough new digital market rules. The Competition and Markets Authority said on Tuesday that Google could be required to implement new “fair ranking” measures in its search results and give publishers more control over how it uses their content, including in output generated by artificial intelligence. The CMA said it was minded to hand Google “strategic market status” — a label introduced under new…

In April of this year, Daisy Yelichek was scrolling TikTok when something unusual appeared in her feed: a video of her 84-year-old father, George Tsaftarides, who runs an account sharing sewing videos from his small tailoring business in Ohio. But the video Yelichek was seeing was not from Tsaftarides’ actual page, which has nearly 41,000 followers – but instead originated from a profile of someone claiming to be a “sad old man” whose cat sanctuary was at risk of shutting down.“Please stay 8 seconds so I don’t have to shut down my cat shelter I poured my love into,” the…

Diego Luna, who stepped in for Jimmy Kimmel as guest host of Monday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, took some time out of his opening monologue to slam Trump and his aggressive Immigration policies. “Tonight, I want to address an important issue that is happening here in Los Angeles and all around the United States,” he began, speaking passionately about the matter. “With everything going on in this country around immigration and authoritarian policies of Donald Trump, it is no small thing that a Mexican is hosting such an important show. It’s a big deal and I really hope…

Inter Miami earned a 2-2 draw against visiting Palmeiras on Monday to qualify for the Club World Cup round of 16, emerging from Group A in second place with an unbeaten record.Miami, which features Lionel Messi, is the sole MLS representative to advance to the knockout phase, where it will face European champions Paris Saint-Germain, the club where the Argentina star spent two seasons (2021-2023).Miami left back Jordi Alba labeled PSG the “current best in the entire world.”Editor’s Picks2 Related”I’m proud of the team, and now we’re competing against a top team like PSG,” Alba said. “It’s great. For me,…

Ever since Pluto was demoted from planet to dwarf planet in 2006, astronomers have been wondering whether Neptune really is the most distant planet from the sun. Now, a new telescope could uncover what lies in the farthest reaches of the solar system. The Vera C Rubin Observatory released its first images this week, and soon the world’s most powerful digital camera will be pointing across the whole of the night sky. Scientists are hopeful that if planet nine exists, the telescope will find it within its first year of operation. Ian Sample is joined by Dr Scott Sheppard, an…

In response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the US Department of State has issued a security alert advising US citizens to exercise increased caution while traveling abroad. Several countries in the Middle East temporarily closed their airspace on Monday, June 23 amid recent developments in the region.In Dubai and across the United Arab Emirates, however, daily life continues uninterrupted. That said, several foreign governments have recently updated their travel advice to the UAE to acknowledge heightened regional risks and potential for flight disruptions. Here’s what travelers need to know right now.This is a developing news story and…